Metal jack for door frames and the like



Dec. 1, 1959 M. R. CHRISTIAN L 2,914,814

METAL JACK FOR DOOR FRAMES AND THE LIKE Original Filed June 7, 1957 6 F1012. 42 e4 40 I-7 14 4o 64 I I as as $3 73 e3 1 g CH5 4 s9 7 75' e9 ,7 65 as 56 a 56 4| INVENTORS MAURICE R CHRISTIAN HERBERT C. RYDING JR.

ATTORNEYS and is proportionally expensive on small jobs.

'METAL'JACK FOR noon FRAMES AND THE LIKE Maurice R. Christian and Herbert C. Ryding, Inn,

Birmingham, Ala.

Original application June 7, 1957, Serial No.'664,403.

"Divided and this-application February 2, 1959, Serial No; 7 90,431

4 Claims. (Cl. 20-.5)

fl his invention relates to a portable knock down type a predetermined height relative to the height ofthe frame.

This application is a divisionunder Official Requirement, of our copending application Ser. No. 664,403, filed June 7,1957. I

Itis a-well-known fact that, after a metal door frame has been anchored" to a concrete base or floor slab, the

installing of the bracing has always been a slow, clumsy,

awkward, and expensive operation. Seldom will two carpenters perform thetask in the same :manner. In most instances and where anumber of frames are-involved and are to be set and braced to the same floor slab, the

' frame heights and widths 'willvary as will the side jambs -and-head or transom configurations. It is not uncommon to encounter head jambs with widely fluctuating face trim-depthsand many wherethe front and rear faces of the trim may vary several inches. The width and height of the door openings together with-the number of doors to be swung within any one frame and the fact that frames vary in shape and some frames carry side lights or a combination of'both side lights and transoms, present a seriousproblem for wood bracing and for these reasons the industry has -never taken time out to do anything about it but complain. The labor' and bracing cost of wood on large jobs runs to an appallingly high figure over,the bracing lumber involved after being used a few timeswusually is discarded and ends in the scrap pile.

Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficient, compact, and eco- -nomicalportable metal knock down'type door or win- -=dow frame bracing jack assembly for firmly bracingand holding in perfect alignment metal frames used in con struct'ing masonry walls in commercial, school, and in- "dustrial types of buildings. The jack assembly maintains the frame in a fixed positionrelativeto a concrete or similar type floor base during the interval involved in laying or erecting the masonry walls to a predetermined height along the side jambs of the frame, andis'provided-with means for quickly-disengaging the jack'from the frame without stopping the masons or interrupting other workmen.

Another object of the invention is'to. provide a pair of spaced bracing jacks for engaging the transom or head section of a metal door frame adjacent the corners there- Patented Dec. 1, 1959 and securely bracing an extra wide frame for multiple Moreopening doors or windows, such as where the extreme span might cause deflection and the horizontal head'or transom member to sag.

Another object of this invention is to eliminate the use of wood bracing material and the nails required therewith.

A further object of this invention is the employment with the jack of two vertically inclined bracing members adjustably, positioned adjacent opposite sides of each jamb to provide a front brace and a rear brace,.connected at their lower ends to a transverse base, andat their upper ends to a cross member bracing adjustable clamping means for releasably'engaging the horizontal head and side jambs of the frame.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent from the following description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, wherein are shown several preferred embodiments the invention may assume:

Figure 1 is a front view of a door frame showing a pair of improved bracing jacks associated therewith and constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view takensubstantially along the line 22 of Figure 1; I

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, with the frame removed; and U v Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view of a further modification showing the cams replaced by an adjustable bolt and nut assembly.

Referring to the drawings, the metal door frame 40 has the spaced side jambs '41 which are connected at their upper ends by the head section or transom bar 42, and may be-of any desired shape and size, as particularly shown in Figure 2. Associated with each of the side jambs 41 and extending transversely of the door frame is a knock down or readily dismantlable bracing jack assembly 43. A pair of these assemblies is provided so as to'support the transom bar 42 at spaced points and adjacent the jambs 41 so as to insure the door frame being maintained firmly in a fixed position as the masonry walls 44 are being erected and until the wall reachesa predetermined height, such as a height approximately two-thirds of the height of the frame 40, at which point the jack assembly can be quickly disengaged from the door frame without stopping or interfering with the of and which also releasably engages the side jambs.

Themetal frame may be of any suitable size or configu- Each from, the head or transom. portion of the metal frame and for moving it either into or out from the frame openingat aininim'um expenditure of time, effort, and cost,

erecting of the wall or disrupting the progress of the workmen.

Each of the jack assemblies 43 includes a front inclined tubular rod or upright 45 and a rear inclined tubular rod or upright 46 which converge upwardly from their lower end portions 47, and are positionedon opposite sides of a jamb 41 to provide a pair of substantially A-shaped supporting frames. The ends of the portions 47 may be provided with rubber caps or shoes 48 that engage the floor or base 49 so as to prevent accidental slipping of each of the jacks when the partsare assembled. The front and rear bars 45 and 46 are connected adjacent their lower ends by a sectional brace including an arm 50 pivoted as at 51 to the front bar 45, and a coacting transverse bar "52 pivoted as at 53, to the rear bar 46. The inner ends of the bars 50 and 5'2 overlap and are pivotally connected as at 54 (Fig. 2), so as to be collapsible when the sections 50 and 52 are raised upwardly about their pivots 51 and 53 respectively. One of the arms, such as the arm 52, may be provided with a bent flange portion5'5 thatoverlaps the 2,914,814= i a t i adjacent portion of the arm 50 so as to constitute a stop for limiting the downward movement of the arm 52 in order to maintain them in a fixed horizontal position,

and also to hold the arms 50 and 52 in their extended position (Fig. 2), but allow the sections 50 and 52 to fold upwardly to collapse and fold into a compact shape for storing or when in'transit.

Each of the tubular arms 45 and 46 at their upper ends is arranged to receive a telescopic rod or leg 56 which may be adjustably secured thereto by a clamp 57 having the spaced parallel arms 58 provided with aligned openings for receiving a threaded bolt 59 to which is connected a wing nut or the like 60. In order to impart desired resiliency to the upper end of each of the tubular members 45 and 46 each may be formed with a slit 61 which is embraced by the clamping member when the parts are assembled. A cross head or plate 61 (Fig. 3) is positioned adjacent the underside of the transom head or head section 40 and one of the jambs 41, and is provided with a vertically adjustable angulated member or plate 62 having a depending vertical arm 63 and a laterally horizontal arm 64 preferably shaped as particularly shown in Figure 3, and which is positioned so that the horizontal arm 64 engages the underside of the transom bar 40 of the door frame, in order to brace and support the same during the initial erection of the masonry wall along the jambs 41, and until the height of the masonry reaches approximately two-thirds of the height of the frame 40.

The plate 61. has a vertical slot 65 to which is slidably connected a retaining bolt 66 that is secured to the vertical arm 63 of the member 62 so as to allow vertical movement of the member 62 relative to the plate 61.

'The axial adjustable arms or legs 56' at their upper ends are connected to the plate 61 by the spaced bolts 67 rotatably connected to the plate 61. Each of the bolts 67 has fixed or keyed thereto a cam 63 that engages the underside of the vertical arm 63 of the member 62, so as to control the vertical movement thereof. Each of the bolts 67 is provided with a manually operating handle 69 (Fig. 2) so that rotation of the cams 68 by operation of the handles 69, will move the member 62 either into or out of engagement with the underside of the transom bar head section 40.

The plate or cross head 61 has adjacent opposite ends thereof transversely aligned elongated slots 70 (Fig. 3) to which are adjustably connected the vertically disposed angle plate 71, by the threaded bolts 72 so as to be longitudinally adjustable relative to the plate 61 so as to engage the side jambs 41, and be releasably maintained in a fixed position by the wing nuts 73 (Fig. 1) that are detachably connected to the bolts 72. Thus, it will be seen that, when the parts are assembled, as particularly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the end or corner portions of the head 42 of the frame 40 are engaged by the spaced horizontal arms 64 of the member 62 which are moved and maintained in engagement with the adjacent undersurface 74 (Fig. 2), by the manual adjustment of the earns 68. At the same time, each ofthe jambs 41 is engaged on its front and rear surfaces by the adjustable plates 71 (Fig. 1) which are moved into engagement with the adjacent sides of the jamb and are maintained in a fixed position relative thereto by the bolts 72 and their associated jamb nuts 73.

'Thus, it will be seen that, when each of the bracing jack assemblies 43 is in engagement with the head 4-2 and jambs 41 of the door frame, the plate 62 will exert an upward force on the frame at the corners thereof by reason of the moving and maintaining of the plate by the cams 63 into firm supporting engagement with the head 42. This upward pressure in turn applies a downward force on the substantially A-shaped frame 43 and the adjustable legs 45 and 46 which cause the rubber caps to firmly engage the concrete slab 49 so as to insure thejack assemblies being properly held in a firm fixed position. Moreover, the firm engagement of the angle plates 71 with the jambs 41 coact with the plate 64 to insure proper rigidity so as to accurately and firmly brace and hold in perfect plumb alignment the door frame 40.

The jack assembly is portable and may be readily assembled or dismantled at a minimum expenditure of time, effort, and cost, and may with equal facility be used for bracing and supporting window frames and entrance assemblies. Moreover, the jack may etficiently be substituted for wood bracing which is generally discarded after once being used. The jack assembly further accommodates itself to any size of metal door or window frame and may be associated with the various types and profiles of such frames which heretofore has presented a diflicult problem when such bracing has been formed of lumber.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the cams shown in Figure 3 have been replaced by an adjustable bolt and nut assembly including welding a threaded nut 76 to the outer surface of the plate 61 as at 77 below and in spaced alignment with an angulated member 62, for the purpose of receiving a threaded bolt 78 having an enlarged head 79 at its lower end which may be provided with an opening 80 for receiving a suitable turning tool (not shown). The opposite or upper end 81 of the bolt 78 is arranged to abut a lateral flange 82 formed on the lower end of the plate 62 so as to move and maintain the plate 62 in adjustable'engagement with the head or transom 42 of the door frame, as well as the head section of a standard frame. It will be seen that the bracing assembly may be used with equal efficiency with a transom frame as well as with a structural frame.

In other words, for the head section a well-known transom head may be substituted without in any way impairing the eflicient operation of the frame assembly.

It will be understood that the forms of the invention shown are merely illustrative and that such changes may be made as come within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. A jack of the class described, including spaced upwardly converging supporting legs, a cross head, means detachably connecting the cross head to the upper end portion of said legs,'a vertically movable plate engageable with a frame to support the same, means for adjustably connecting the plate to the cross head so as to move and maintain the plate in engagement with the frame, longitudinally spaced clamping members positioned on opposite sides of said plate and engageable with adjacent sides of the plate to maintain the same in a fixed position, and means adjustably connecting the movable clamping members to said cross head.

2. A jack, as called for in claim 1, in which spaced cams are rotatably connected to the cross head and arranged to engage the vertical plate to adjust the latter relative to the cross head.

3. In combination with a metal frame of the class described, having a transom head and side jambs, longitudinally spaced portable knock down bracing jacks for maintaining the frame in a fixed position while laying a masonry wall adjacent the sides of a frame, each of said jacks including an inclined front upright, an inclined rear upright, a sectional spacer member pivotally connected to the front and rear uprights adjacent the lower end thereof arranged when extended to maintain the uprights in a spaced position relative to each other, and to be folded when the jack is not in use, each of said uprights including a tubular leg portion and an upper solid leg portion telescoping the tubular portion, means for adjustably clamping the solid leg portion to the tubular portion, spaced rotatable means connecting the upper ends of said solid leg portions to said cross head, a supporting plate movable vertically relative to said cross head and engageable with the underside of a transom head, means for adjustably connecting said plate to said cross head, longitudinally spaced clamping members engage- 5 able with the opposite sides of a frame jamb, means for longitudinally adjusting the clamping members relative to the cross head, said clamping members coacting with the vertical plate so as to brace and maintain the frame in a fixed position during the erection of a masonry wall and until the wall is built to a predetermined height, and cam means connected to said rotatable means and engageable with the underside of said vertical plate for moving the same into or out of engagement with the underside masonry wall adjacent the sides of the frame, each of said 15 jacks including an inclined front upright, an inclined rear 6 upright, a spacer member connected to the front and rear uprights adjacent the lower ends thereof, a cross member connected to the upper ends of said uprights, a vertically.

adjustable supporting plate connected to said cross member so as to engage the under side of the transom head, and longitudinally spaced clamping plates adjustably connected to said cross head for engaging opposite sides of the jamb of the frame, said plates coacting for maintaining the frame in proper alignment during the interval the masonry wallis being erected and until the wall is built up to a predetermined height.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,240,724 Stoehr May 6, 1941 

